What the game industry thinks of Nintendo’s Switch

Four days from today, Nintendo’s latest console will go on sale. A little over four years since the launch of Wii U, a little over four months since Nintendo announced Switch, and to many, the system seems like a breath of fresh air — a game console Transformer full of potential with a steady stream of software to back it up. To some, though, the system seems incomplete. From early reports of controllers that don’t properly sync to a limited launch lineup, a lack of non-game apps like Netflix, a missing Virtual Console library and lingering questions about the online service, there’s a simplicity to Switch’s launch that recalls the ’90s — Zelda is Mario 64, and if you don’t want that or a few other games, you might not need the system right away. In time, Nintendo will address those issues. Yet more than most consoles, Switch remains a bit of a mystery at launch. Are motion controls going to be a big part of it? What type of player will Switch developers cater to? And will third-party studios embrace the hardware once the initial hype dies down? In an attempt to wrap our heads around it, we recently reached out to a group of developers and industry veterans to get a sense of where those in the game business see it going. Have it your way When Nintendo revealed Switch in late 2016, it pitched the system as something you can play on a TV at home or… [Read full story]